Let's talk about corrections in class...

I've been thinking a lot lately about corrections in class; how we (as teachers) give them, how we (as students) receive them and wether our current emotional climate is affecting how we process this giving and receiving of critique.

What I mean by this is that the world has experienced some massive collective trauma over the past few years and as we all become more aware of mental health (and its importance) a lot of individuals are hyperemotional and I can feel this sensitivity in classes.

I think a critique of ones work has morphed into perceived criticism and as a result it's often not accepted very well.

Before we go any further, let's define these two words; critique and criticise...

Critique - a detailed analysis and assessment of something

Criticise - form and express a judgement (indicate faults in a disapproving way)

Can you see how the two (whilst similar) sort of fall into a more positive and negative category?

Critique definitely has a more positive vibe! And I think as students, we fall into one of the two definitions when we accept a correction in class.

I know I'm rarely 'the student' anymore, but I've always been able to view corrections in class as simply a critique of my work. I loved corrections because it meant I was getting attention in class and I was fulled by this feedback loop. 

However there were definitely times when I received 'corrections' in class that were more of an unnecessary criticism...

An example would include the time a teacher told me that I couldn't cross my feet into a tight enough fifth position because of the size of my thighs. I was a teenager at the time and this is an especially disappointing comment considering I was incredibly thin and with a comment like that there's not much you can action in the moment.

I also remember doing an adult ballet class when I was just starting my teaching journey at 19 when the teacher said, "What's the point of having lovely feet if you're not going to bloody use them!" This was not only incredibly abrupt, but also contained no useful information to apply in relation to using my feet correctly.

First and foremost I truly believe that we should criticise to uplift, not destroy. That's my philosophy when it comes to corrections in class.

However even with that mentality and careful consideration about how I provide critique, I still come across students who react incredibly sensitively to a correction. In more recent times I've actually backed right off with the corrections and have a way of going about it that I'll share in a moment...

But as always I turned to the Balanced Ballerinas community on my socials to see what they thought about corrections in class. The answers were fascinating and unsurprisingly confirmed my suspicions.

Asking a very open ended question, "What are your thoughts on corrections in class?" I had about 40% of students answer in a similar fashion...

"Appreciated and welcome! I'd rather know what I'm doing wrong..."

"I love them, especially when the teacher knows my specific goals and her corrections are in alignment with what I'm striving for!"

"Correct away! I'm paying to be taught, so teach me!"

"Love corrections, the more feedback the better!"

"I always feel more cared about when I get a correction..."

"Definitely important as they help us develop our technique!"

"They are essential!"

And then about 60% shared the following kind of response...

"I should be able to opt out if I don't want them..."

"I think adult students just want to go and enjoy class, teachers need to stop correcting us like we're training to become professional dancers!"

"I always stuff up the sequences when I receive a correction, so I'd rather not be corrected."

"Corrections make me feel bullied and exposed in front of the class..."

"I find corrections confusing and harsh."

"Depends on how they're delivered..."

"If my teacher tells me to suck my stomach in one more time I'm going to loose it!"

"My teacher gives everyone else corrections except me. I did cry one time when she corrected me, so maybe that's why she doesn't correct me anymore. But now without the corrections I feel ignored."

Before I started sharing these answers, I said that my suspicions were confirmed. My suspicions were that almost half thrive off corrections and absolutely love them, whilst the other half find them intimidating, distressing, confusing or annoying to receive. 

I bet a lot of you listening right now are like, "But I love corrections, surely it was only a minority who felt vulnerable to the delivery of a correction!" But I can guarantee you, this was not the case. 

And the reason it doesn't surprise me is because I have first hand experience with students telling me they love corrections to then receive them and react quite negatively. For example, many a student has told me that they want corrections and when I've delivered them (in a very calculated and kind way) obsessed over said correction which has resulted in a downward spiral of negative thoughts...

'I'm not good enough..."

"Why can't I get this, I must be so stupid!" 

"I promise I'll do better, I don't know what's wrong with me today..."

I can either see this written all over their faces (I am a master of body language after all) or they literally come out of class and say those words. To which I have to spend several minutes reminding them that they're doing amazing and to stop obsessing over the one correction they received in class.

One of the reasons I started Balanced Ballerinas is because I wanted people to simply enjoy their ballet classes and marvel in the gift of being able to move their body. 

My classes are not about taking your training SO seriously that you loose that joy. It's about balancing the importance of what you're doing with the great pleasure of why you're doing it.

As mentioned, I'm incredibly calculated and careful in my delivery of a correction. If you're a long time listener of my podcast you would have heard me talk about teddy bear hands which is the use of a flat open palm to correct, not an intrusive finger poke. 

So I can only begin to imagine how students react to corrections in class from a teacher who may not deliver corrections in a well thought out manner. 

Despite what the movies depict, I truly believe that the majority of ballet teachers adore and care for you - we simply all have varied ways of delivering corrections which suit some and not others. That's why there's not a one size fits all when it comes to finding the teacher that's right for you.

Speaking of teachers, super interestingly I received a few responses like this...

"I don't like corrections as I think it teaches us to be constantly seeking validation from others!"

"I understand the value in corrections, but I don't think it's wise to rely on them. You should seek inner acceptance, not external validation."

I tend to agree, but I also think there's a difference between holding your teacher up as 'god like' and simply respecting them as a wealth of information that you can learn from. After all, you are trying to learn a craft and if you allow your ego to think you're above corrections then you'll only hinder your own progress in achieving a happy and wholesome ballet practise. 

It's about creating a balance between absorbing the feedback, actioning it and then moving onto the next challenge whilst respecting the teacher YOU have chosen.

Which leads me into something I teach my 12 Week Adult Ballet Course students...

Fun fact! I was named after a very famous artist - Georgia O'Keefe. And she is responsible for one of my favourite quotes! 

“I have already settled it for myself so flattery and criticism go down the same drain and I am quite free.”

I think this quote is extremely relevant to this topic and something I'd love you to ponder. I won't go into as much detail as I do in my 12 Week Adult Ballet Course, but in a nutshell you can see how valuable it is to look at corrections in class in this light... 

I think because ballet is primarily focussed on the body, corrections can certainly make us feel vulnerable or inadequate. But if we begin simply digesting them as a nugget of information to action and then move on, I think we'd all be a lot happier. 

The same students that I was telling you about that go into a downward spiral over one tiny correction, also tend to be the ones that spiral quickly upwards into a high after they've been told they have executed something beautiful or well. 

This is so dangerous, because its verging into the territory that some of the Balanced Ballerinas community shared with me about external approval!

Don't live your life that way, take on corrections in class but understand they're not the indicator of wether you had a good class or not. And they're certainly not an indicator of your self worth. 

So you're probably now thinking, how do you deliver and action corrections in class Georgia?

Well, as you can see it's a delicate dance between student and teacher with delivery being key. I know the students I can correct, I know the ones who don't enjoy corrections and I know to be careful with the ones who love corrections but take them to heart. 

Teaching is a game of interpersonal skills. Developing the ability to read students verbal and non-verbal cues takes a long time and I'm the first to admit that whilst I have a good grasp, I'm always learning, fine tuning and coming across new challenges. 

My students who attend in-person classes will notice (or if you haven't, you will now) that I usually delivery corrections quietly to an individual during the exercise. This ensures the student doesn't feel singled out in front of everyone. 

I also deliver the majority of my corrections to the group and get them to apply a particular focus for the exercise. Especially if we're repeating the exercise.

At the end of the day, corrections are part of a ballet class. As teachers we need to learn to deliver them in a more effective and perhaps creative way. And as a student we need to be open, unguarded and receptive to them. 

As always, it comes down to a balance and that's where we're going to leave this topic for today - with much to think about!

Peace & Pliés,

Georgia x